Razlan: Now is a good time to consider bringing back Formula One
Razlan said Formula One fans are eager to see the pinnacle of four-wheeled racing make a comeback to Sepang, which hosted the race for almost two decades.
"When we made the decision to drop Formula One in 2017, I did say we should give it a break for five years and reconsider it after that," said Razlan when met recently.
"We have exceeded that (five-year period) now, and as a package, a spectacle event and as a tourist attraction, I think now is a good time to consider bringing it back.
"After not hosting it for so long, many fans are craving to see it come back to Sepang so I think it could work.
"It is just a matter of whether the government can afford it or not.
"With the current sensitivity regarding the economy, they (government) will likely get a lot of criticism if they want to bring it back because you will have to invest a lot into it.
"It all depends on the narrative you put forward. If you package it as a tourism initiative and highlight the incentives of hosting it here, it could be justified.
"But at the end of the day, it is up to the government to decide."
Sepang hosted Formula One between 1999 to 2017 but dropped the event due to dwindling global interest in the championship and disappointing ticket sales in Malaysia.
At the time (2016), it was reported to cost Malaysia a staggering RM300 million to host Formula One annually.
Formula One has, however, been given a new lease of life since being taken over by current owners Liberty Media in 2017.
The Drive to Survive Netflix series, which began airing in 2019, and the introduction of Saturday sprint races in 2021 has significantly boosted interest in the championship.
Razlan, who is the former team principal of the now defunct RNF MotoGP Racing Team, said on a personal note, he still prefers MotoGP over Formula One.
"As a racing purist, I still think Formula One is boring. The recent Hungarian Grand Prix was hardly exciting," said Razlan with a cheeky smile.
"MotoGP, however, is still exciting even though Marc Marquez is dominating at the moment."
The Petronas Grand Prix of Malaysia (MotoGP Malaysia) is currently Sepang's flagship international event.
The track has hosted MotoGP every year since 1999, except for 2020 and 2021 when the race was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
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